1. SAMHSA: Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families
Stephanie Weaver Public Health Analyst (Military Affairs)

3. SAMHSA’S Mission and Roles
Mission: to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities
Roles:
Voice and leadership
Funding - service capacity development
Information and communications
Regulation and standard setting
Practice improvement
SAMHSA's Role
Leadership and Voice
Policy development, comment & support
Convening
Collaboration
Point of expertise
Funding – Service Capacity Development
States, Tribes, local governments, communities
Building capacity in all grantees
Emergency response in disasters
Information/Communications
National Surveys – NSDUH, DAWN, DASIS
Evidence-based practices (NREPP)
Web, Print, Verbal, Press – general public, providers (primary, specialty, guilds, peers), payers
SAMHSA supported innovations (evaluation/research)
Standard Setting/Guidance
Tobacco Sales
Drug Testing Labs
Opioid treatment for substance abuse
Physicians prescribing practices
Guidance to the field
Improve Practice (community-based, primary care, specialty care)
Policy academies
TA centers
Conferences
Development and dissemination of core competencies

4. Purpose of the Strategic Initiative
Support America’s service men and women—Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, and Veterans—together with their families and communities by leading efforts to ensure needed behavioral health services are accessible and outcomes are positive

5. SAMHSA’s Partnerships and Relationships
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Interagency Agreement supporting the Veterans Crisis Line through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
MOU supporting each agencies strategic goals related to veterans
Department of Defense (DoD)
Two MOUs with National Guard Bureau –General Support, Host NGB Liaison at SAMHSA.
MOU with Defense Centers of Excellence
MOU with Marine Corps providing on-site SAMHSA liaison at Camp Pendleton to support suicide prevention efforts
DoD Reserve Affairs funded 2011 Policy Academy
TRICARE Management Authority (TMA)
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Interagency Agreement to conduct training at Area Health Education Centers (AHEC)
Behavioral Health Professional Organizations
The Alliance of Military and Veteran Family Behavioral Health Providers
Joining Forces

6. Policy Academies
Policy Academies strengthen behavioral health care systems and services for service members, veterans, and their families
Each state/territory 10-member interagency team develops a unique, practical and sustainable strategic action plan
SAMHSA provides follow-up technical assistance to states and territories
*Supports goals in President’s report “Strengthening Military Families”

7. Policy Academy Process

8. SMVF Policy Academies Conducted in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
46 States, Washington, D.C., and 4 territories have “graduated” from a Policy Academy (only NM, SD, NE & MS have not participated)

9. Service Member, Veterans, and Their Families Policy Academy GraduatesTX NM AR AZ UT NV CA OR WA ID MT WY CO LA PR VI KS AL GA ND SD NE MN WI IN IL OH KY TN SC NC VA NY ME AK MI IA WV VT NH NJ PA CT MA MS HI DE MD OK FL DC RI GU
Service Member, Veterans, and Their Families
Policy Academy Graduates
2008
2010
2011
American Samoa
2012
2013 (Apr)
2013 (May)
2013 (Sep) MO

10. State/Territory Plans
Strategic plans address
Increasing access to appropriate care
Closing gaps in the system
Building the system’s capacity
Increasing interagency communication/
collaboration
Incorporating promising-, best- and evidence-based practices
Sustaining efforts
Dialogue with military

11. Sample Visions
Colorado serving Veterans – Current and former Service Members, and their Families
Maine ensures that military service men and women, veterans, and their families are provided simple and timely access to comprehensive support and services
Improve system operations and coordination to effectively and responsively understand and meet the needs of our Armed Forces, Veterans and their Families in Tennessee

12. SAMHSA’s Current Activities
Focus on military families across the SAMHSA portfolio, especially in the areas of Prevention, Trauma & Justice
Support Military Culture Training for behavioral health providers
Internal: Operation Immersion, grantee webinars
Best Practices: Center for Deployment Psychology, The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Citizen Soldier Support Program
Continue TRICARE credentialing and behavioral health provider network development in cooperation with DoD
Support other commitments presented in the psychological health chapter of the President’s Report “Strengthening Our Military Families.”
Define and collect demographic data on military families and ensure data coincide with what HHS distributes
Support and Implement Executive Order, Aug 2012: Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members and Military Families

13. Tools for Connection State policy academies
Military Families Strategic Initiative Technical Assistance Center
National Guard Liaison
Veterans Administration Interagency Agreement
Defense Centers for Excellence Technical Assistance Services

14. Resources
SAMHSA’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families TA Center
Provides TA to state level entities for improving the BH needs of Military/Veterans, and families
Veterans Crisis Line ( ; Press 1)
Partnership with SAMHSA and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Access to Recovery - identified a priority to serve Military/Veteran and families
Voucher program for SA Treatment and recovery support
services

15. Resources Jail Diversion for Military/Veteran population
Jail Diversion programs from arrest to re-entry in 13 States (CO, CT, GA,FL, IL, MA, NM, NC, OH, PA, RI, TX and VT)
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Resource center focused on Child Trauma and Military/Veterans, and families
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention

16. Public Health Analyst (Military Affairs)
Thank you! Questions?
Stephanie Weaver
Public Health Analyst (Military Affairs)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
1 Choke Cherry Rd
Room
Rockville, MD 20857